As some of you may know, Peanut and I are crazy about Roleplaying, and it's clear, since this is the second one on this site that belongs to us. And we aren't even done with the first one! Regardless, that won't stop us from starting this new roleplay, Rude Awakening!

 

Kinda dark and mysterious title, eh?

 

As stated in the title, this RP is one on one, no exceptions. Please refrain from posting in the RP. Instead, follow us on this new journey!

 

Peanut, my amazing friend, let's begin!

Roxas summoned one of his Keyblades away, but only so he would have a free hand. "Not now, Namine," he said, stepping up to her. He set a hand on her shoulder briefly as he stepped past her to the computer. He still wasn't great with computers, so this would take a minute to set up.

Namine glanced at the hand that went to her shoulder before it was gone, though she then turned to look at Roxas. Why are you brushing me off? she wanted to ask. Why didn't he care what she thought? Roxas's opinion had always mattered to Namine, no matter the subject. So why was he so easily dismissive of hers?

Glancing at the computer, Roxas realized just how unfamiliar he was with the system even after all his training. He summoned his other Keyblade away and set both hands on the Keyboard, trying to refamiliarize himself with it. But at the same time, Namine was distracting him. "I appreciate you coming in," he said. "But I need to get back to it." 

Namine's eyes softened with sorrow. So that was it then. That was his polite way of telling her to leave. You're not your weaknesses, she wanted to tell him, staring at what she could see of his handsome face. Even if you do get stronger, that'll never change. Roxas had to realize that at some point...but maybe it wasn't going to be tonight.

Roxas blankly used the computer, noticing that Namine wasn't leaving. He didn't have the heart to tell her to go again; she was the reason that he was training, after all. If he pushed her away, then all this was for nothing. He set a hand on the computer, momentarily losing his balance. Maybe he was more tired than he thought.

Namine lowered her gaze, missing Roxas's display of poor balance. Instead of leaving like he asked of her, she did the opposite. She quietly approached him and stared at his back, defying him once more as she silently wrapped her arms around him. Her hands rested on his tight stomach as she rested her forehead against his back, feeling the heat that radiated off of his sweaty form. But she didn't care about that. Namine just wanted Roxas to know that she didn't care about strengths or weaknesses or anything like that. She cared about him.

Roxas's eyes widened as soon as he realized what was happening. Namine was pressed up against his back, holding him with tenderness. As soon as she did that, his defenses began to crumble. "Nam," he said weakly. "Please..." Please just let me get back to it. He had to get stronger, for her.

Namine only tightened her hold, especially at the nickname. Roxas didn't realize how his name for her made her feel: special, cared for on a deeper level than friendship, important. She had never felt important before, not until him. He probably didn't know the degree of that feeling, even if she gave him a kiss on the cheek for it a few days ago.

Roxas slowly took his arms away from the computer, allowing them to dangle at his side. Her touch did wondrous things to him. He used be so stubborn... "Please," he repeated quietly, dipping his head as he looked down at the ground. "I need...to be stronger." 

"No you don't," Namine told Roxas, voice soft in the quiet room. "You're already strong enough." He protected those he cared for, and he protected her against Seifer. It didn't matter that he could have lost if she hadn't crushed Seifer's heart, a reminder that had Namine wincing. What mattered was that Roxas had the power to defend people at all. To defend her when the time came for it. That was more important than his definition of strength.

"No I'm not," Roxas said, finding that his knees were weak both from the strain he put on them in the past few hours and because of the conversation. He didn't like admitting this to Namine. "I wasn't...strong enough to protect you." She had to step in to defeat Seifer. If he was stronger, everything would have been okay. She wouldn't have had to use the power that she didn't like using.

Namine took her head out of Roxas's back, looking at the back of his blond hair. "That doesn't matter," she told him gently. "You protected me anyway. That meant a lot, Roxas..." Sora and Riku protected her as well in the past, and Roxas tried years ago in Twilight Town when DiZ took her away, but...he cared enough to still do that recently. 

"I didn't protect you well enough," Roxas said, surprised at the moisture that appeared in his eyes. "I couldn't protect the person who means the most to me..." He was stunned that he confessed such a thing, but with how tired he was physically and emotionally, he didn't have his usual filter. 

Namine froze at the words, eyes widening as she stared at Roxas's back. "...What?" she asked, suddenly breathless. "I couldn't protect the person who means most to me," she repeated silently, the words echoing in her head. That couldn't be right. Roxas certainly cared for Sora more than her, at least.

As soon as Roxas realized what he said, his cheeks flushed. "I mean...Well...I mean..." There was no point hiding it now. And he didn't want to retract what he said. "I mean it," he said quietly. "I couldn't protect you." So he'd get stronger until he was able to protect her.

But you did protect me. You fought for me, Namine wanted to say, but she couldn't find her voice. Roxas outright said that he meant what he said, not only about protecting her, but about her being most important to him. How could that be? She used him in the past, and she messed up his heart the first time around. He had been miserable because of her, even if she did have a huge influence on his recovery. It didn't make sense.

Roxas felt lightheaded, maybe because of what he was saying and maybe because of pushing himself too much. "Nam..." he said weakly, giving her the best warning he could. He set a hand on the computer and slowly lowered himself to his knees, too weak to stand.

Namine's hold on Roxas had loosened considerably at his shocking words, so when he sank to his knees, she didn't go with him. However, she did step over and rest on her knees beside him, her hands in her lap. Her light blue eyes gazed at him with concern. She knew he had pushed himself too hard...

Roxas looked down at his lap with half-open eyes, seeing a drop of sweat fall from his bangs. "...Sorry," he said faintly. "I didn't mean to confess to you like this..." He was going to be strong for her: he was going to prove that he was strong enough to protect her and then he was going to tell her his feelings. Obviously that didn't work out.

Namine silently lifted a hand to Roxas's shoulder, squeezing it gently. She wasn't sure what to say. What did he mean by confess? Was he referring to her being most important to him? That could imply many things: that she was a good friend, his best friend even, but it could also imply that he saw her as more than that...especially with the gifts and the art room and the kiss on the cheek recently. But...Namine wouldn't take it like that. It couldn't be right.

Roxas looked over at Namine, weakly meeting her eyes. He already said a lot of stupid things: well, they weren't stupid, but they weren't called for in this conversation. He kept his mouth shut, though he was trying to read her expression. How was she taking this? 

Namine met Roxas's eyes for the first time since his confession, and she found herself suddenly shy. She wasn't sure how to take what he said, but...by the look in his eyes, he seemed hesitant. Also, there was a hint of moisture there, but why? She tilted her head slightly and smiled weakly. There was no reason for him to be emotional over her, of all people. He was great just being Roxas, though his determination at getting stronger to protect her was quite flattering.

"I feel kind of silly," Roxas said quietly as he met Namine's eyes. He said so much that he shouldn't have said right now, and while he felt bad for it, he wasn't going to take it back now. Namine deserved to hear what he felt.

"Why?" Namine asked softly, her hand moving slightly on Roxas's shoulder. He didn't need to feel silly for anything. Namine was flattered by all he was doing and saying. She didn't believe she deserved that kind of...well, devotion. She didn't think she would ever have it, but Roxas changed everything.

"I just dumped a lot on you," Roxas said with the weakest, frailest smile. He really hadn't meant to unload everything on her, especially not while he was so tired and worn down. He hadn't let himself think of how to tell her, since he didn't meet his goal yet.